The explosion took out one of the thugs, leaving him rolling on the ground, screaming as flames engulfed him.
I felt the heat from Fireyarou's blast. The smell of burning flesh wafted through the air as the wind blew.
Masaki swiftly charged toward the leader of the thugs.
CLANG
CLANG
SWISH
Fireyarou created a wall of fire to protect me and prevent the thugs from rushing toward me.
"Master, stay behind this wall. They need to learn to be careful when playing with fire—otherwise, they'll get burned," Fireyarou said with a grin. I could see he was enjoying this fight a little too much.
"Be careful. Don't underestimate them," I warned Fireyarou, urging him to stay alert.
Fireyarou leaped toward the fire wall and hurled a fireball at one of the thugs.
"Power of Kaishin!" I held up a card, and a bright light appeared, materializing into a trident-like spear with three blades at its tip.
With this, I could defend myself if anyone managed to break through Fireyarou's wall of fire.
I also prepared Block Attack and Garnecia Elefantis Cards in case of an emergency.
Masaki's fight didn't last long.
Every attack the thug leader threw was effortlessly dodged by Masaki, while Masaki's strikes landed cleanly on his opponent.
Cuts and slashes covered the thug's body until he finally collapsed to the ground.
Fireyarou, who had been keeping the other three thugs busy with his fireballs, finally got a breather. Earlier, he could only attack from a distance, but now, the combination of Masaki's close-range sword attacks and Fireyarou's fireballs proved to be a perfect match.
One by one, Masaki and Fireyarou took down the thugs until only one remained. The last thug dropped his sword and raised his hands in surrender.
"Please, don't kill me! I'm a member of The Hound Pets. If you let me go, I'm sure our boss will reward you!"
Fireyarou and Masaki stopped their attacks but remained on guard in case of a sudden ambush.
"Master, I'll follow your decision, but sometimes mercy can be a weakness," Masaki said, awaiting my orders.
"One fireball will end this," Fireyarou reignited the flames in his hand.
I walked closer to Masaki and Fireyarou. I knew letting this thug go might cause trouble later, but killing someone who had surrendered went against everything I believed in.
I took a deep breath.
"Go. But if I see you causing trouble again, there won't be a second chance," I decided to let him go.
"Masaki, Fireyarou, let's go. Darkness Approaches!"
The effect of the Darkness Approaches card began to manifest around us. Darkness enveloped the area, but I—and seemingly Masaki and Fireyarou as well—could still see clearly.
I watched as the thug ran back toward the settlement.
The three of us decided to leave the area and head back to our base.
…
After some time, we arrived in front of a massive, towering wall surrounded by thorny plants—Labyrinth Wall and Darkworld Thorns.
"Thorns, did anyone approach this area?" I asked.
A flower with sharp teeth emerged from the ground and shook its head.
I entered the labyrinth and followed the path created by Labyrinth Wall.
Once inside the house, I began to reflect.
This time, I managed to escape unscathed, thanks to Masaki and Fireyarou. But what about next time? Was the leader of The Hound Pets as weak as that thug? What if they had backings or Devil Fruit Users?
During the fight, I couldn't do much even though I was holding the Power of Kaishin. This meant I had to be patient. I needed to grow stronger. I had to keep training with Fireyarou and Masaki.
But my true strength lies in opening packs and summoning monsters from the cards. I hoped to get a powerful warrior who could train me or a skilled sorcerer who could teach me magic.
Later that evening…
I saw the hunting team return to our hideout with their catch. Some of the game was stored in the Inventory, while the rest was prepared by the monsters.
Finally, I got to taste seasoned food for the first time here. Before, I could only eat plain meat. I was genuinely moved by how much this little house had improved.
I'm sure there's a chef monster in Yu-Gi-Oh! If so, I'd eat well forever. What a wonderful life that would be—living in a palace with a team of professional chefs ready to serve me whenever I'm hungry.
I also finally got to change my clothes and fix the water system in the house. It was a significant improvement in my quality of life.
Water truly is the source of life.
Before bed, I assigned the monsters to take turns keeping watch. It's better to be safe than sorry.
The next morning…
I woke up to the sound of the Ceremonial Bell ringing from the bell tower.
Name: Erik
Level: Civilian
Talent: Pack Opener
Money: 50,000 Berries
Available Packs:
The Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon
Metal Riders
Magic Ruler
Daily Pack Tokens: 3
Available Pack Tokens: 3
Alright, let's start the day by testing my luck…
System, open a pack…
To be continued…